Help, my cat pees on the sofa :(
By nagikka
@nagikka (407)
Italy
October 9, 2009 3:36am CST
I hope to find better help here on Mylot than I did on a cat-specific forum.
I have tree cats and they're all brothers.
Four years ago, after years without a dog, we got a female dog (a welsh corgi pembroke). As soon as we brought her home, my cats kind of didn't accept her and one of them (Murphy) started to pee in my parents'bedroom, a thing that we solved by keeping the door shut and the cat away from it. All of the cats and the dog are now living together in peace, there are no problems, they never even tried to hurt her. Things were doing just fine, so much that we forgot Murphy in the room once and he didnt pee at all.
However, since I was feeling down, in occasion of my birthday my parents got me a puppy pug (female) which I had been in love with for ages. We're all animal lovers and obsessed at home, I have a small zoo (with also tortoises in the garden and parrots). When we brought the pug home, my cats were absolutely calm, also because she was 75 days and thus very small. I'd like to underline that:
- my cats are 13 (though you'd never tell) and they sleep all day in my room (and keep on doing that)
- they still sleep in my bed at night
- they still sleep on my legs or desk when I study
- we still cuddle them
- they still eat and we still give them "sweets" for cats
Basically, nothing has changed and they see the pug only when they eat (and when they eat, the puppy is being kept in a box for puppies). Also, the cat are SANE and none of them has urinary diseases (they have just been checked by the vet).
However, Murphy now pees on the sofa. Always on the same sofa and in he same spot.
we tried with feebreeze which is supposed to cover smells, it was useless.
we tried mint essence on the sofa and it was useless.
we tried feliway (pheromones, prescripted by the vet) and it seems to be useless.
we then put plastic on the sofa (he ONLY pees on it at night when the pug sleeps in her box in a room ALONE) and for three days he didn' pee ... untill today.
The vet said we could give him medicines but I don't want to, it'd just be a placebo for his fears which wouldn't disappear. What can I do? have you ever had the same problem? the weird fact is they GET ON with the dog, they let her smell them and viceversa, they don't hurt her and they even watch outside the window laying down next to her.
Any suggestions?
2 people like this
9 responses
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
9 Oct 09
how about lemon juice on the sofa? the stuff that you've used doesn't seem to either repel the cat nor cover the smell. generally, cats do not like citrus stuff.
the plastic you have on the sofa, does he pee ON it? or does he pee on the sofa only when the plastic is removed?
cats do the strangest things and sometimes we just can't seem to understand why. however, feliway is way over rated and it's pretty useless for any cat problem.
i sure hope the problem will be resolved soon and murphy will realise that the litter pan is the way to go...
@nagikka (407)
• Italy
9 Oct 09
I never tried lemon juice actually, I'm open to any suggestions so I might give it a try and it seems less "dangerous" tha pepper because Murphy at time coughs and I don't want for him t sneeze too :|
He started to pee on the sofa for days, then we covered it with plastic. For three days he did not pee on the plastic, untill yesterday night. So he pees on the sofa both when it's got plastic or when we remove it.
I told my parents that Feliway got 95% negative reviews online and that most people told me it's very expensive and useless, but they're so desperate that they bought two of them: one is in my room where cats spends most of their time, the other is in the living room where Murphy pees on the sofa. Instructions said to place it where the cat pees so we had to buy two of them, or else they wouldn't breath any pheromones.
Do you think he will stop one day ? I mean, he will realize that our pug will never harm him and that we love them all. I LOVE my cats, I'm a cat lover ... I just wish he'd understand :|
1 person likes this
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
10 Oct 09
i don't think murphy is upset about the new pug. i think he just feels that he wants to protect his territory. cats are pretty territorial animals. this is especially in non-neutered toms. my boy was neutered but he is still pretty territorial. although he doesn't pee or poop to mark his territory, he basically attacks my other two cats when he feel they have lingered in 'his territory'.
great to hear that the lemon juice seem to have worked. hopefully murphy will stop peeing anywhere but the litter pan.
@Tiamjr (435)
•
11 Oct 09
Does you cat still use the litter box? I have heard that this behaviour can sometimes arise if a cat has had a bad experience when using the litter box. This can sometimes be caused by the cat suddenly getting frighten while they are using the cat litter, or sometimes it can simply be caused by the cat experiencing a painful bowel movement while they are using the litter. I read somewhere that either one of these types of experiences can cause associative behaviour whereby the cat associates the litter box with a bad experience and so tries to find other places to go to the toilet.
Another reason for your cats behaviour could be that your cat is outlining its territory after the arrival of your new dog.
You say you have three cats. How many litter boxes do your cats have access to? Sometimes cats can become picky about using the same litter box as other cats.
Whatever is causing the behaviour you will need to throughly clean the sofa. Makesure you praise your cat when it uses the litter box so that it begins to associate using the litter box with positive experiences. I have heard that getting a cat out of this type of behaviour can be really hard, so you just have to keep trying. I am not an expert but I hope this advice helps.
@nagikka (407)
• Italy
11 Oct 09
I really appreciate any advice, I'm open to all suggestions and willing to give them all a try :)
Murphy still uses the litter box and I don't think he's had any bad experiences with it, also because it's located in a quiet place in our house so I doubt something bad could have scared him. He shares it with his two brothers, it's been like that for 13 years now and we clean it more than once everyday, knowing how clean and picky cats can be. We clean it anytime they poop, then in the morning and before going to bed. We also completely clean it once a week, wash it and make it completely clean. We kept on using the same product anyway. I'm pretty much sure he pees because of the new dog, just like he did with the previous one we got.
Anyway I'll tell my sister to keep an eye on him when he uses the litter box, so that she can praise him. Thank you a lot :)
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
10 Oct 09
maybe the cat is just nervous. make that cat more comfortable and give it extra attention. maybe he is trying to compete with the dog for attention. they are like children. and, at night, maybe put the cats in another room, away from the sofa, for a couple of nights, so that they get used to it. maybe they will eventually get the message. also, check to see if the litter box is full. sometimes, cats dont like it if the litter box hasnt been cleaned yet and they wont go in it. they might pee elsewhere. cats are very picky.
@nagikka (407)
• Italy
10 Oct 09
I always clean their litter, I don't think that's why he pees on the sofa :| I guess you're right when you say he's trying to compete for attention. Any tips on what I should do to make him feel at ease? we give him extra sweets, extra cuddles and so on but it doesn't work much. So far he isn't peeing because we put plastic on the sofa.
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
12 Oct 09
Hi nagikka,
How about washing your sofa with diluted vinigar? its get all the smell and stains out and will keep the cat from peeing on it as it, they don@t like the smell of it, I think you cat is feeling insecure with you having a ne pug, but yes lemon and vinigar are the best also pepper.
Tamara
@taztheone (1721)
• India
9 Oct 09
Th best way to stop a cat from doing those stuffs is by telling them politely rather than shouting at them. If we shout at them, they will not listen because it hurts their feelings, ney.
Happy Lotting
Happy Lotting
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
12 Oct 09
The cat has marked his territory. Now that he has marked it he believes it to be his and that he can go there any time. As long as the oder remains there he will be attracted to it and will go there when ever he can. I have heard the vinegar works in eliminating pet odors. Try putting it in a spray bottle and spraying it on the area and then blotting it, it may take several times to fully get the smell out if that is even possible. You may want to spray it and then take the couch cushions off and lay them out in the sun, giving them a chance to air out, and I would cover the couch when ever any one is not at home or sleeping. Our cat got old and sick and used to pee on one spot on the living room floor. Luckily we had hard wood there, but he did it so often he eventually stained. I had to soak a paper towel covered in hydrogen peroxide over the stain changing it twice a day for 3 weeks to get the stain out. The smell took even longer to to get out, but eventually I was successful in getting rid of it. I also put stuff all around the area to keep him away from it.
@Care4Pets (176)
• United States
12 Oct 09
Nag, glad to hear that he was already checked by the vet for any possible urinary issues because that would've been my first thought given his age. I work as a receptionist at a vet clinic, so as a pet grows older we tend to see things of that nature.
That be said, I do have a suggestion...
Go buy a product called Nature's Miracle. You can find it at any pet store, including Petsmart. It will eradicate the odor. Feliway, Febreeze, etc. only mask the odor; they don't eliminate it. Nature's Miracle will solve the issue, but at this point, it may take several cleanings because he's been repeatedly saturating the same location. Keep cleaning with it! I've been using it for years, long before I worked for the vet clinic, and I promise it works!
Additionally, try some extra cuddle time with Murphy, in case he's just mad at you, which oddly enough happens on occasion. Also, make sure to continue using the same type of litter (changing brands, etc. can cause issues) and ensure that it stays clean. There is also a product called Sticky Paws that you could lay over the area. Cats don't like sticky things on their feet, so it will deter him from the spot. However, it might only mean that he finds a new spot to be a nuisance.
Worse case scenario: Take your vet up on the offer and use the medication. I understand your concern, but it may just the thing Murphy needs to get him "back on track". Hopefully, it would only be a temporary need and he could stop taking the meds after a month or two (or maybe even less depending on what your vet thinks).
Best of luck to you & all your furry (and unfurry!) friends!:)
